The invention had the object of finding novel compounds having valuable properties, in particular those which can be used for the preparation of medicaments.
The present invention relates to compounds that are useful in the treatment and/or prevention of diseases mediated by deficient levels of glucokinase activity, such as diabetes mellitus, and methods of preparing such compounds. Also provided are methods of treating diseases and disorders characterized by underactivation of glucokinase activity or which can be treated by activating glucokinase, comprising administering an effective amount of a compound of this invention.
The identification of small compounds which specifically activate, regulate and/or modulate signal transduction of glucokinase is therefore desirable and an aim of the present invention. Moreover, aim of this invention was the preparation of new compounds for the prevention and/or treatment of Diabetes Type 1 and 2, obesity, neuropathy and/or nephropathy.
Surprisingly we have found that β-amino acid derivatives activate glucokinase; therefore, these compounds are especially suitable for the prevention and treatment of Diabetes Type 1 and 2, obesity, neuropathy and/or nephropathy, it has been found that the compounds according to the invention and salts thereof have very valuable pharmacological properties while being well tolerated.
In particular, they exhibit glucokinase activating effects.
The present invention therefore relates to compounds according to the invention as medicaments and/or medicament active ingredients in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of the said diseases and to the use of compounds according to the invention for the preparation of a pharmaceutical for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of the said diseases and also to a process for the treatment of the said diseases which comprises the administration of one or more compounds according to the invention to a patient in need of such an administration.
The host or patient may belong to any mammal species, for example a primate species, particularly humans; rodents, including mice, rats and hamsters; rabbits; horses, cows, dogs, cats, etc. Animal models are of interest for experimental investigations, where they provide a model for the treatment of a human disease.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a progressive disease often associated with obesity characterized by insulin deficiency and insulin resistance or both. The fasting and post-prandial blood glucose is elevated, exposing the patient to acute and chronic complications (micro- and macro-vascular) leading to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and amputations. Improving glycemic control has been demonstrated to lower the risk of these complications. Owing to the progressive nature of the disease, an evolving treatment strategy is necessary to maintain glycemic control. There are two forms of diabetes mellitus: type 1, or juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and type 2, or adult-onset diabetes or non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Type 1 diabetes patients have an absolute insulin insufficiency due to the immunological destruction of pancreatic β cells that synthesize and secrete insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more complex in etiology and is characterized by a relative insulin deficiency, reduced insulin action, and insulin resistance. Early-onset NIDDM or maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) shares many features of the most common form of NIDDM whose onset occurs in the midlife (Rotter et al 1990). A clear mode of inheritance (autosomal dominant) has been observed for MODY. At least, 3 distinct mutations have been identified in MODY families (Bell et al. 1996). The importance of Glucokinase (GK) in glucose homeostasis has been demonstrated by the association of GK mutants with diabetes mellitus in humans (MODY-2) and by alteration in glucose metabolism in transgenic mice and gene knock-out mice (Froguel et al. 2003; Bali et al. 1995, Postic et al. 1999).
GK, also known as hexokinase IV or D, is one of four hexokinase isozymes that metabolize glucose to glucose 6-phosphate [Wilson, 2004]. GK is known to be expressed in neural/neuroendocrine cells, hepatocytes and pancreatic cells and plays a central role in whole body homeostasis [Matschinsky et al. 1996; 2004]. GK plays an important role as a glucose sensor for controlling plasma glucose homeostasis by enhancing insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells and glucose metabolism in the liver but also by increasing GLP1 secretion from L-Cells. β-cells, glucose-sensing in the arcuate (ARC) hypothalamic nucleus may depend on GK to detect a rise in glucose and facilitate glucose-induced-insulin secretion.
The multiple mechanism of action suggests that GK activators will exert their biological effects in diabetic and obese patients by improving the overall body glucose awareness which provides rational expectations that enhancement of GK activity would be a novel therapeutic strategy for metabolic disorders. It is anticipated that GK activators will restore appropriated pancreatic hormones and incretin secretion coupled with a suppression of hepatic glucose production without inducing severe hypoglycemia.